Benito Zambrano

Source: Juan Naharro

Benito Zambrano

Spain’s Cine365 and Castelao Productions have teamed with French outfit Noodles to co-produce El salto (translated as The Jump), the next project from veteran filmmaker Benito Zambrano. 

The film follows Ibrahim, a migrant from Guinea who now lives in Madrid with his wife Mariama. Their peaceful lives turn upside down when he is arrested for not having a residence permit. Ibrahim is deported to his native country and from that moment on his only objective will be to return to Spain to be with Mariama and the daughter she is expecting.

Shooting began secretly in Madrid on September 16 and is expected to finish October 29 in Tenerife. The production crews have built in a village near Madrid that is a replica of the Melilla border fence that migrants must jump from Morocco to get to Spain.

Moussa Sylla, Nansi Nsue and Edith Martínez will star.

Zambrano’s most recent film was Lemon And Poppy Seed Cake, which was nominated for best adapted screenplay at the 2021 Goyas. His other films include adventurer drama Out In The Open (2019), mother-and-daughter drama Alone (1999), musical drama Habana Blues (2005) and The Sleeping Voice, which premiered at San in 2011.

Madrid-based Cine365’s previous projects include Rodrigo Cortés’ Dawn a Dark Hall. Castelao Productions’ previous projects include Jaume Balaguero’s [REC] saga. French outfit Noodles are a regular partner of Spanish films, including Pablo Berger’s White Snow.